“Cultural Life in Constantinople during the Siege of 1453”

War in Society and Culture Program’s Spring 2026 Speaker Series Marquee Lecture

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marked the end of the Roman (Byzantine)  empire and enabled the Ottomans to become a world power. Most attention  on the siege has focused on its military aspects, including the  deployment of huge cannons against the city’s ancient  walls. But the city’s cultural life during the siege was just as intense, as classical scholars, both Greek and Latin, struggled to make  sense of events, while Catholic and Orthodox theologians debated the  issue of Church Union. In this lecture, professor Kaldellis will present the writers, thinkers, and scribes who were active during the siege and discuss their fates after the city’s fall